‘Hello, Love, Again’ records biggest opening day in Philippine cinema history

The film is already a certified blockbuster during its first day.

On Thursday, November 12, Star Cinema and GMA Pictures reported that the Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards reunion movie ‘Hello, Love, Again’ earned a historic Php 85 million in the box-office during its first day on Wednesday.

The sequel of the 2019 film ‘Hello, Love, Goodbye’ had already surpassed the previous movie on opening day, as the second part more than doubled the first installment’s Php 34 million gross.

‘HLA’ also reaped four times than the current highest-grossing local film of 2024, its fellow Star Cinema movie ‘Un/Happy For You’ starring Joshua Garcia and Julia Barretto, which raked in Php 24 million on day one and more than Php 400 million by the end of its theatrical release.

The “KathDen” movie also kicked off its theatrical run with a record 656 cinemas in the Philippines screening the movie, with the figure inflated to over 1000 once international screens have been accounted for.

Directed by Cathy Garcia-Sampana, ‘Hello, Love, Again’ will see Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards’ reprisal of their respective roles as Joy (or Marie, rather) and Ethan from ‘Hello, Love, Goodbye.’

The movie’s main setting has also been moved to Canada, with events happening five years after the story of the first movie that was shot in Hong Kong.

Also part of the sequel film’s cast are Joross Gamboa, Valerie Concepcion, Jennica Garcia, Jameson Blake, Jeffrey Tam, and Lovely Abella.

When the film was released that year, it immediately went to the top of the box-office charts and eventually cemented itself in Philippine cinema history upon becoming the highest-grossing Filipino film of all-time.

According to official box-office records, ‘Hello, Love, Goodbye’ had a worldwide gross of Php 880 million.

It toppled Bernardo’s previous movie, ‘The Hows of Us’ which she topbilled with Kapamilya actor Daniel Padilla, which is the first movie to breach the Php 800 million mark.

‘HLG’ held the distinction of being the top-grosser until Star Cinema’s 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival entry ‘Rewind’ starring Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera took the spot in early January 2024.

As per ABS-CBN Films, ‘Rewind’ grossed Php 900 million in the worldwide box-office.

---